Friday, October 3, 2014

“ LOKUM “ A DELIGHTFUL SWEET OR CONFECTIONERY FROM TURKEY .

( Photographs Autar Mota )

“ LOKUM “ or TURKISH DELIGHT .

The Popular Turkish sweet / confectionery ‘LOKUM ‘ is Karachi or Sindhi Halwa

I am informed that LOKUM came to Turkey sometime around 1700 A.D. Ali Muhiuddin Bekir from Anataolin brought this sweet for the then Ottoman Sultan . When the sultan ate it , he cried “RAHAT LOKUM “ ( Relieving Morsel ) . Ali Muhiuddin Bekir had also learnt the technique of making LOKUM. And the subsequent Ottoman sultans gave royal patronage to this sweet ..

LOKUM travelled to Europe where it came to be known as Turkish Delight . I am further informed that as time passed , Ali Muhiddin's descendants (the shop is still owned by the family) did some wonderful innovations to Lokum adding walnuts, pistachios, oranges, almonds, clotted cream and rose water . I tasted LOKUM in Mumbai recently. Sandeep Mota had brought from Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir shop in Istanbul (Turkey ). It is nothing more or nothing less than the Karachi or Sindhi Halwa. Did Ali Muhiuddin Bekir travel to India or Did Karachi Halwa come to India from Turkey ????… Can’t say ……..